Law Enforcement
Information for law enforcement agencies regarding stash.chat's data retention and cooperation policies.
Our Commitment to Legal Compliance
stash.chat is committed to cooperating with legitimate law enforcement investigations while protecting user privacy and maintaining the ephemeral nature of our platform. We balance legal obligations with our privacy-first design principles.
Data Retention and Availability
⚠️ Limited Data Availability
Due to our ephemeral design, we have very limited data available:
- Message Content: Not available - messages are automatically deleted
- Video Content: Not available - videos are one-time view only
- Live Chat Content: Not available - conversations are not recorded
- Private Communications: Not available - content is ephemeral by design
✅ Available Data
We may have limited data available:
- Account Information: Username, email, registration date (if account exists)
- IP Addresses: Limited retention for abuse prevention
- Abuse Reports: Reports submitted by users
- Technical Logs: Limited server logs for security purposes
- Room Information: Public room names and creation dates
Legal Process Requirements
Required Documentation
All law enforcement requests must include:
- Valid Legal Process: Subpoena, court order, or search warrant
- Case Information: Case number, investigating agency, and officer details
- Specific Request: Detailed description of information sought
- Legal Authority: Applicable laws and regulations
- Timeframe: Specific date range for requested information
Request Types We Accept
Subpoenas
For basic account information and non-content data
Court Orders
For more detailed information with judicial oversight
Search Warrants
For comprehensive data with probable cause
Emergency Requests
For imminent threats to life or safety
Response Process
Request Received
We acknowledge receipt within 24 hours and assign a case number for tracking.
Legal Review
Our legal team reviews the request for validity and scope within 48 hours.
Data Collection
We collect available data within the scope of the legal request.
Response Delivery
We provide the requested information within 7-14 business days.
Emergency Procedures
🚨 Emergency Requests
For imminent threats to life or safety, we may respond more quickly:
- Immediate Response: Within 2 hours for life-threatening emergencies
- Required Information: Detailed description of the emergency
- Follow-up Required: Formal legal process must follow within 48 hours
- Contact: emergency@stash.chat
International Requests
Cross-Border Legal Process
For international law enforcement requests, we follow established legal frameworks:
- Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLAT): For formal international cooperation
- Mutual Recognition: Recognition of valid legal processes from partner countries
- Data Protection Laws: Compliance with applicable privacy regulations
- Diplomatic Channels: Through appropriate diplomatic and consular channels
User Notification
Transparency and User Rights
We are committed to transparency regarding law enforcement requests:
- User Notification: We notify users of data requests when legally permitted
- Transparency Reports: We publish statistics about law enforcement requests
- User Rights: Users have the right to challenge requests when appropriate
- Legal Representation: Users may seek legal counsel regarding requests
Contact Information
General Law Enforcement
Email: legal@stash.chat
Response Time: Within 48 hours
For general law enforcement inquiries and requests.
Emergency Requests
Email: emergency@stash.chat
For urgent, life-threatening situations only.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you provide message content?
No. Due to our ephemeral design, message content is automatically deleted and not available for law enforcement requests.
What about video content?
No. Videos are one-time view only and are permanently deleted after viewing.
Do you log IP addresses?
We maintain limited IP address logs for abuse prevention and security purposes, typically for 30 days.
Can you provide real-time monitoring?
No. We do not provide real-time monitoring or surveillance capabilities.
What about metadata?
We have very limited metadata available due to our privacy-first design and ephemeral architecture.
Legal Framework
Applicable Laws and Regulations
We comply with applicable laws and regulations, including:
- United States: Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), Stored Communications Act (SCA)
- European Union: General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), ePrivacy Directive
- Canada: Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)
- International: Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLAT), International cooperation frameworks